Shiro alga carta
Encyclopedia
Shiro Alga Carta is a paper made from algae
which would otherwise clog up the Venetian Lagoon
. The algae, which are harvested annually, are used in partial substitution of pulp and are combined with FSC
fibres.
. Algae have always been present in the Venice lagoon but in combination with man made nutrients and warm end of summer water they started to develop in an abnormal way, making the ecosystem unstable.
In 1989, the Magistrato alle Acque of the Venice Council, which was the governmental body in charge of the problem, in cooperation with the Consorzio Venezia Nuova started to remove the algae to prevent the de-oxygenation of the Venice lagoon and the death of aquatic life.
The algae is difficult to dispose of, and the Magistrato alle Acque sought opportunities to use it in other ways. One option, co-sponsored by the European Union and involved in LIFE project, was to process it so that it could be added to paper as a way to substitute pulp and other materials, replacing these natural resources. In 1993, this led to the first sample of paper called "Alga Carta".
in the algae. Typically 5% to 10% of algae is used, but up to 30% is possible.
The manufacturing process of Shiro Alga Carta is patented by Favini.
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
which would otherwise clog up the Venetian Lagoon
Venetian Lagoon
The Venetian Lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Venetian language, Laguna Veneta— cognate of Latin lacus, "lake"— has provided the international name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of saltwater, a lagoon.The Venetian Lagoon...
. The algae, which are harvested annually, are used in partial substitution of pulp and are combined with FSC
Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products...
fibres.
History
The creation of Shiro Alga Carta dates back to the early 90’s, when the Venetian Lagoon was clogged by an extraordinary algal bloomAlgal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
. Algae have always been present in the Venice lagoon but in combination with man made nutrients and warm end of summer water they started to develop in an abnormal way, making the ecosystem unstable.
In 1989, the Magistrato alle Acque of the Venice Council, which was the governmental body in charge of the problem, in cooperation with the Consorzio Venezia Nuova started to remove the algae to prevent the de-oxygenation of the Venice lagoon and the death of aquatic life.
The algae is difficult to dispose of, and the Magistrato alle Acque sought opportunities to use it in other ways. One option, co-sponsored by the European Union and involved in LIFE project, was to process it so that it could be added to paper as a way to substitute pulp and other materials, replacing these natural resources. In 1993, this led to the first sample of paper called "Alga Carta".
Manufacturing process
The raw algae are first dried and then milled in the paper mill to obtain seaweed ‘flour’. The flour is then combined with FSC fibres to make a high quality environmentally friendly paper. The outcome is a speckled paper where the speckles are the milled algae – interestingly, over time, the paper becomes whiter due to the chlorophyllChlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
in the algae. Typically 5% to 10% of algae is used, but up to 30% is possible.
The manufacturing process of Shiro Alga Carta is patented by Favini.